Recorded Webinar: Small Congregations Focusing on Invite
- Steve Welch
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
On January 21, Invite Welcome Connect welcomed leaders from small congregations across the Episcopal Church and beyond for the webinar Small Congregations Series: Steps for the Future. Participants joined from parishes large and small, rural and urban, bringing with them shared questions about how to engage in faithful invitation, hospitality, and belonging in today’s changing church.
The webinar was introduced by Steve Welch, Executive Director of Invite Welcome Connect, and led by Mary MacGregor, Invite Welcome Connect instructor, followed by Canon Jenni Faires of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. Together, they offered encouragement rooted in theology, lived experience, and practical tools especially suited to small congregations.
Opening with Prayer and Hope
Mary MacGregor opened the webinar with prayer, setting the tone for a conversation grounded in trust, courage, and God’s ongoing work in and through small churches. The prayer below is adapted from a prayer in the book Invite Welcome Connect: Stories & Tools to Transform Your Church:
A Prayer for Invitation
Gracious God,who has given us not a spirit of fear, but the power of love,
grant us courage to step out of our comfort zones,to invite someone to church,to see and welcome the other,
and to be willing to discern the gifts God has placed within us.
Help us claim our life’s work as ministry,
as holy, sacred work.
Open our hearts and minds with holy listening and loving souls,
and give us moral courage to think outside the box,to imagine the possibilities for our congregations,
our beloved communities of faith.
These things we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Mary also offered words of reassurance that resonated deeply with participants: small congregations are not failures in a declining church landscape. They are often uniquely positioned to embody deep relationship, resilience, and joy. The work of invitation, she reminded participants, is not primarily about church growth, but about relationship with God and neighbor.
Invitation as Relationship, Not Pressure
Mary MacGregor grounded the conversation in Invite Welcome Connect’s understanding of invitation as relational and intentional. Drawing on decades of research, she emphasized that the vast majority of people who visit a church do so because of a personal invitation. While digital tools and public events matter, congregations are not “off the hook” from the simple, faithful act of inviting others.
She also named an important Episcopal distinctive: evangelism is not coercion. Congregations are invited to share faith stories gently, honestly, and at a pace that respects both the inviter and the invited. Even when invitations are declined, the work is still faithful. The calling is to plant seeds, trusting God with the outcome.
Corporate Invitation and Community Engagement
Canon Jenni Faires built on this foundation by focusing on corporate invitation and community engagement, especially in small-church settings. She encouraged congregations to look at their calendars and ask how existing activities might become more inviting, rather than creating entirely new programs.
One practical framework she shared was alternating between:
Internal events that build connection within the congregation, and
External or community-facing events that increase visibility and relationship beyond church walls.
Examples discussed included fellowship meals, participation in local fairs, Blessing of the Animals services held in public spaces, and partnerships with existing community organizations. Jenni emphasized that these efforts do not need to be expensive or elaborate. Often, the most effective outreach builds on what is already happening in the life of the congregation.
She also addressed common challenges faced by small churches, including limited volunteers and long-established patterns. Her guidance was consistent and pastoral: work with what you have, start small, and focus on one faithful step at a time.
Encouragement Without Overwhelm
Throughout the conversation, participants named how refreshing it was to hear that small congregations are not expected to do everything. Both Jenni Faires and Steve Welch reinforced the idea that it is acceptable, and often wise, to stop doing things that no longer serve the congregation’s mission.
Faithful experimentation was encouraged. If something works, continue it. If it doesn’t, let it go and try something else. The goal is not perfection, but attentiveness to where God may already be stirring new life.
Web, Communications, and Digital Presence
Toward the end of the webinar, there was a focused conversation on web and communication tools that small congregations are using effectively. He emphasized that a congregation’s website is now its “front door” and does not need to be complex to be welcoming.
Key points included:
A simple website should clearly state worship times, location, contact information, and what newcomers can expect.
Platforms such as Wix and Google Sites can be effective for congregations with limited technical capacity.
Email tools like Mailchimp and Constant Contact allow churches to create readable newsletters and simple landing pages.
Social media can be manageable when congregations post regularly, even just two to three times per week, sharing photos, announcements, and glimpses of community life.
The discussion noted an important reality for some contexts: where internet access is limited, print newsletters and in-person communication remain essential and faithful forms of invitation.
New Digital Assessment Tools for Invite, Welcome, and Connect
The January 21 webinar also marked the release of a significant new resource for small congregations: Google Forms versions of the Invite Welcome Connect assessment tools, thoughtfully edited to better serve the realities of small churches.
Previously, the Invite Welcome Connect assessments were available only as PDF documents. The new digital tools are designed to make reflection, discernment, and planning even more accessible and collaborative.
Each assessment—Invite, Welcome, and Connect—allows congregations to:
Gather input from across the congregation, not just a small leadership group
Compile responses automatically
Review results visually in chart and graph form, making patterns and priorities easier to see
Use the data to identify where ministries are flourishing and where focused attention may be needed
These versions have been edited specifically for small congregations, with an emphasis on lay leadership, realistic capacity, and clarity. Similar Google Forms assessments designed for congregations of all sizes will be released shortly.
Using the links below, individuals can make their own copy of each assessment. Once copied, the tools can be edited, adapted, and customized to fit the unique context of a congregation.
To support congregations in using these tools well, Invite Welcome Connect will host a follow-up webinar on February 4 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, titled Nurturing What God Is Growing Among Us. This session will walk participants through how to use the assessments, interpret the results, and translate insights into faithful next steps.
Together, these tools are intended as instruments of discernment, helping congregations notice where God’s life is already present and where new growth may be invited.
this morning am able to make a copy of Invite and Welcome assessments, but connect assessment link will not function